Masking films (e.g., tapes or foils) and/or masking sheets (e.g., formed sheet metal) can be employed to mask portions of an article during the application of coatings (e.g., powder coatings, polymer coatings, and so forth). Also referred to as “masks” or “maskings”, masking films and/or sheets are assembled onto the article prior to the coating process and temporarily secured thereto via adhesives and/or securement features (e.g., tabs, clips, screws, and the like). After the coating has cured, the mask is then removed leaving an uncoated area, which is desirably delineated from the coating area by a fine line.
Although masking films and sheets have exhibited success in many cases, in applications wherein an article comprises relatively complex geometries and/or surfaces, the masking process can be detrimentally time consuming and labor intensive. To be more specific, when masking articles comprising complex geometries and/or surfaces are masked, the application of the masking is applied by hand by a laborer who must take care in following the complex features and contours around the area to be masked. Such complex geometries and/or surfaces can comprise, undercuts, internal features, uneven surfaces (e.g., generator windings), textured surfaces (e.g., grit blasted surfaces), figured surfaces (e.g., ornamental surfaces), and so forth. In such labor intensive and time consuming masking processes, the resulting manufacturing cost can decrease overall profits. In addition, in electrostatic coating processes, the coating can be attracted to the masking as well as the article being coated. Not only does this further reduce profits by increasing costs associated with coating raw materials, but also, when the mask is removed, the interface between the mask and the article can unevenly crack, chip, and/or delaminate, which forms an unpleasing rough edge, that is perceived as poor quality. Further, masks that employ adhesives can leave adhesive residues on the article that can be undesirable.
To remediate these shortcomings, what is needed in the art is reusable masks that do not attract electrostatic coatings, which can be efficiently assembled and disassembled on complex geometries without utilizing adhesives.